Blank-making machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 c. D. KNowLToN BLANK MAKING MACHINE Filed Miren 1o, 1953 lgzl.

Dec. 3, 1935.

Dec. 3, 1935. c. D. KNOWLTON BLANK MAKING MACHINE Filed March lO. 1933 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLANK-MAKING MACHINE Application March 10, 1933, Serial No. 660,219

33 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for the production of blanks, which blanks may, for example, be used for the manufacture of boxes.

In making boxes by continuous methods of the character of that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,764,358, Smith, June 17, 1930, webs of shell-material and cover-paper are fed forward together, caused to adhere, operated upon by successive mechanisms to impart the desired end-formation, and severed from the webs as blanks ready for setting-up as boxes. To form the blanks properly, it is necessary that the webs shall register accurately with the various instrumentalities which operate upon them. It is an object of my invention to maintain such registration under varying conditions, as with different grades of stock. To this end, I combine with mechanism for operating upon blank-material, usually in web-form, primary means movable at a definite rate to feed the material to the operating mechanism, and secondary feeding or registering means for causing the material to advance to the operating mechanism at a different rate, for example by increasing its speed, together with means for vmoving the registering means into effective advancing relation` to the material. 'Ihis movement is preferably under control of the material, as by means operating through an opening therein, said control being herein shown as exerted by a feeler member or finger, which may act to tuck or otherwise arrange portions of a web, and which is movable by the operating mechanism and connected to the means for moving the registering means. To guard against injury to the elements as a result of excessive correcting movement, -means is included in the connections for limiting the action of the moving means. The feeding means, both primary and secondary, may consist of rotatable rolls, those which produce the registering effect having a greater peripheral speed than their companion rolls. The contact of the feeler with the material as it advances detects any departure from correct registration and changes the relation of the secondary feeding means to the material to correct this. The operating mechanism utilized in the present instance for producing engagement between the feeler and the material is one which tucks cover-paper through slots previously made, which slots the paper overlies. The feeler may exert its controlling influence when it contacts with an edge-portion of the web-material, as at an extremity of a slot, because this is not in its normal position. While my invention is of especial utility in connection with the making of blanks, it is not limited to this held, but may be employed wherever it may appropriately be applied to the maintenance of the proper relation of traveling material to mechanism which is to operate upon it. In the particular embodiment of the invention which I have seen fit to illustrate, there is provided continuously acting means for moving the secondary feeding or registering roll or member in one direction, and means acting intermittently to move said member in another direction. By placing the intermittently acting means under the control of the feeler, and imparting to it a greater extent of movement than the continuously acting means, the correcting effect may be produced when the feeler is affected by engagement with the web. Preferably the movement caused by the moving means is transmitted through ratchet mechanism to the registering member by a screw rotatable in opposite directions and a pressure member moved by the screw. Excessive displacement of the pressure member may be caused to stop the rotation of the screw and the application of pressure.

A further object of the invention is to obtain effective contact of the means for tucking the cover-paper through the web-slots and to avoid inJury of the web-material during this operation. For this purpose, I lhave furnished the tucking means with a yieldable portion arranged to contact with the webs. This portion I have shown as a nger movable upon a revoluble tucking segment, as against the tension of a spring, and arranged for engagement with the ends of the slots in the shell-web. If displacement of the slots from registration occurs during the feeding of the webs, this finger will yield and vmutilation of the material will be avoided. At

the saine time the finger tends to effectively wipe the cover-material against the ends of the slots ready to b'e pressed against the opposite side ofthe shell-material. I prefer to give this finger a double'function by also utilizing it as the feeler which governs the feeding or registering means for the webs. 40

One of the many forms which my invention may assume is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 1

Fig. 1 being a broken vertical longitudinal section through a portion of a blank-making machine including this invention;

Fig. 2, a broken elevation looking from the right in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a perspective view of the tucking mechanism, with the feed-controlling elements; Fig. 4, a vertical sectional detail through the screw by which the registering means is actuated; and

Fig. 5, a diagrammatic side elevation of operating mechanisms of the blank-making machine, including both the primary and the secondary web-feeding rolls.

A complete machine for the production of boxblanks, and acting upon shell-material B and cover-material b (Fig. 3) in a manner generally 60 similar to the present apparatus, is made the subject of an application filed in my name in United States Patent Omoe on September 8, 1930. Serial No. 480,518, and bearing the title Blank-making.

0n January 22, 1935, this application became Letters Patent No. 1,988,451. Herein there appears (Figs. 1 and 5) portions of such an appa ratus, there being carried upon a frame A a.A pair of rotatable rolls C which simultaneously feed forward plural webs, as shell-material B and cover-paper b, at the same time causing the adhesion of their previously glued surfaces; mechanism D, which cuts longitudinal slits in the paper b along slots s which have been producedin the shell-web B by mechanism not appearing in these drawings; mechanism E for tucking the slit paper through the slots; devices e for turning such tucked paper under and pressing it against the opposite side of the shell; a pair of auxiliary feeding and registering rolls I 0 and I2; and cutting mechanism F by which the completed blanks are severed from the web. All the rotatable elements turn in the direction indicated by the ar rows in Figs. 1 and 5, the lower rolls being driven from a longitudinal shaft i4 through bevel-gearing I6 and the upper rolls from the lower through spur-gearing I8. The peripheral speed imparted to the rolls C by the gearing is preferably such as to advance the webs at the correct normal rate to receive the action of the various operating mechanisms. The gearing for the rolls In and I2 bears such relation to their peripheral extent that they act somewhat more rapidly upon the webs than do the rolls C. Consequently, when they are made effective, they advance the webs at an increased rate over the normal feed impartediby the rolls C. Because of variations in the thickness or condition of the surfaces of the webs, their advance by the rolls C may fall below the chosen rate. In such case, there is destroyed the correct relation between the operating mechanisms and the areas of the material upon which they act. -An especially objectionable result of this loss of registration is found in connection with the action upon the slots s in the shell-material B. Remembering that the operations are duplicated upon opposite sides of the material, though hereinafter the operating mechanism at but one side is generally referred to, at the mechanism D, the cover-paper b over thel slots is to be slit by a freely rotatable knife 20 acting against an abutment-segment 22, the peripheral extent of the segment being substantially identical with the length of the slot. 'Ihe mechanism E has a segment 24 projecting beyond the circumference of and revoluble by a rotatable roll or disk 2i, this segment entering each slot s to alter the arrangement of the coverpaper by tucking it through said slot in preparation for its folding under and pressure against the shell-web by the devices e. It will be obvious that if these slitting and tucking mechanisms are to properly perform their functions without deformation of the ends of the slots, they must register accurately with said slots. The manner in which I obtain the desired registration will now be described.

The auxiliary or secondary feed-roll I8 is preferably Journaled in ilxedbearings, while the cooperating roll I2 turns 'in opposite arms 30, 30 pivoted at 32 upon the frame. The extent of approach of the roll I2 to the roll II is adjustably determined by rods 34 depending from brackets 3B and having heads 38 with which the arms may contact. This adjustment is preferably such that the upper roll I2 rests by gravity upon the traveling webs, there being left such a space between the arms 2l and the heads Il Y of the 'rods that when pressure is applied to said" arms the upper roll may be forced into driving l.

engagement with the webs. In absence oi' this added pressure, the weight of the roll I2 is not such that the rate of advance of the materialis affected. The roll I2 may be forced yieldably down toward the roll I Il by plungers 42 resting 10 upon the'arms 30 and movable through. openings in the brackets 38. Each plunger is threaded to receive a nut 44 upon which rests a spring 46. On the upper extremity of the spring, which projects above the plunger, bears a cap 4I with 1l the upper side of which contacts, at a. point spaced from its axis, a laterally extended fulcrum-portion SII of a lever 52. The lever-portion Bl is shown as havingvtrunnions 54 turning `in the frame and furnishing the fulcraproper. The zo initial relation of the spring-cap 48 may be varied by differently positioning thesupporting nut 44. The lever 52 is shown as sectional, with slotand-screw connections 56 whereby its length may preliminarily be determined to provide for prop- 25' er co-operation with the connecting elements.

To urge the roll I2 toward the companion roll I0 and thus change its effect upon the material, there is pivoted to turn at one side ofthe rear extremity of the lever 52, a nut 58 surrounding so' an externally threaded sleeve i0 supported at its lower end upon an arm 62 of a'bracket i4 fixed to a rod 6B supported transversely of the frame. The sleeve is rotatable about a spindle 6l ar' ranged for limited longitudinal movement in the bracket 64, it passing through the lower arml i2 and extending in proximity to an upper arm 1| of said bracket. The arm 821s shown as having a portion in the form of a block 12 pivoted upon it, so the movement of the sleeve and spin-v die and of the connected elements may not produce interference. Fast upon the bottom of the spindle is a worm-wheel 14 which is normally forced into engagement with -an enlargement upon the lower end of the sleeve Il by a spring 5 16 interposed between a washer 1l at the upper extremity of the sleeve and a nut 8l threaded upon the spindle. Variation in the position of a nut alters the force exerted by the spring to-urge the worm-wheel into engagement with the sleeve. 5() ByI this adjustment there may be changed, to meet the requirements ofthe mechanism, the driving force which is transmitted f rietionally from the spindle to the sleeve. This is utilized in the provision oi a safety-feature, the effect of which will later be described. The finger-piece 82, fast upon the sleeve 60, facilitates the turning of said sleeve to obtain an initial positioning of the nut 58 upon the sleeve.

To drive the Worm-wheel 14, I have chosen to take power from one rotatable tucking member 28, preferably both to maintain the roll I2 in a normally ineffective relation and to force said roll against the material to create a corrective increase in its rate of travel to restore registra- 65 tion which may have been lost. Journaled in the bracket-arm 82 is a short horizontal shaft 90 having fast upon it a worm 92 meshing with the worm-wheel 14. The shaft also has secured to it a ratchet-wheel 94. The -teeth of the ratchetwheel are engaged by a double ratchet 86 pivoted upon an arm 95 mounted to oacillate about the shaft 90. The relation is such that when the ratchet is rocked clockwise from a neutral position, normally maintained by a spring 91 joined to the arm 95, this movement being as viewed in Figfl, its projection 98 will turn the shaft 90 in the same direction, while opposite movement of the ratchet causes its projection to rotate the shaft anticlockwise. The first movement so turns the sleeve 60 that the nut 58 elevates the lever 52 to relieve the material of feeding pressure which may have been transmitted through the springs 46 and plungers 42 to the roll I2. The opposite rotation lowers the nut to force said roll against the material and by the differential of its peripheral speed to the normal travel increases its rate of advance.

Projecting laterally from a flange |02 upon the hub of the tucking disk 26 is a fixed pin |04, so located as to strike the upper side of one end |06 of the ratchet 96, moving the nut and roll I2 to produce the first effect described above and permit normal feeding action of the primary rolls only. If, because of changes in the material, or from other causes, the advance of said material lags behind the normal rate, the forward extremity of a slot s with its associated cover-paper tends to prematurely receive action of the tucking segment 24. Guided to move through the disk 26 and the flange |02 is a plunger |00 so located radially of the disk that its path will lie outside the pivotal point of the ratchet 96 so it may be positioned longitudinally to engage the upper side of the end IIO of the ratchet. This engagement moves said ratchet about its pivot in the direct-ion opposite to that produced by the pin |04, turning the ratchet-wheel 94 anticlockwise to so rotate the sleeve 90 that the roll I2 is lowered and the rate of advance of the material increased. In this connection, it is to be noted that the plunger |08 strikes the ratchet at a point farther removed from its pivot than the contact of the pin |04, so its effect exceeds that of the pin, although the latter continues to act during the correction of the lag. To obtain the longitudinal positioning of the plunger, said plunger being normally retracted by a spring I I2, it contacts during each revolution with a cam ||4 held adjustably by slot-and-screw connections II6 upon a stem I I8, which is also adjustable through its support upon the spindle 66. This mounting allows the cam to be secured in the desired operating relation to the plunger |08. The action of the cam upon the plunger is so timed, that it occurs when the forward extremity of the tucking segment 24 co-operates the forward end of a slot s. Pivoted at |22 upon the segment is a finger |24, the angular position of which is controlled by engagement of its` rounded end |26 with the web-material at the end of the slot. Normally, this end of the finger is held yieldably forward by a spring |28 and acts as a portion of the segment, contacting with the cover-paper to force it through and press it against the end of the slot in preparation for its complete attachment. But when the webs lag, as previously indicated, the finger yields by' the action upon it of the edge of the shell-material at the end of the slot to not only prevent crushing said material, but also swings its upper extremity |30 forward to enter a depression in the plunger |08, which is now projected into alinement with it by the cam II4. I'his engagement temporarily locks the plunger in position to cause the driving mechanism and its connections to the roll I2 to urge the latter against the material and thereby accelerate the forward travel. 'I'his continues until the restoration of the material to correct registration permits the spring |28 to withdraw the end I 30 of' the finger from the plunger-depression, releasing the plunger, which is carried by the spring from its active relation.

It is possible that through the sticking of some of the elements or their failure otherwise to act properly, the lever 62 might be swung too far in either direction by the continued action of the driving means and thus cause damage to the apparatus. To avoid this, I provide means for limlo iting the movement of the lever. Adjacent to the nut 68, the lever has a rounded end resting in a V-shaped depression |40 'formed in the lower extremity of an arm I4| pivoted at |43 upon the portion I0 of the bracket 64. Movement of the l5 lever-end upon the V-walls in either direction turns the arm I4I clockwise about its pivot (Fig. l), tending to bring down into contact with the spindle 68 a screw |42 which is threaded, in alinement with it, through an upper horizontal branch l0 of the arm |4I. This engagement depresses the spindle against the force of the spring I6 and separates the engaging frictional surfaces of the worm-Wheel 14 and the sleeve 60. Rotation of the last-mentioned element therefore ceases, and the lever 52 remains at rest, damage by its movement beyond safe limits being thus prevented.

To summarize the action of the apparatus, it may be said that the shell-web B, with the attached cover-paper-web b, is advanced normally at a definite speed by the primary feed and combining roll C to such operating means as the slitting mechanism D, the tucking mechanism E, the paper-folding and pressing devices e, and the cutting-off mechanism F. Upon these webs the registering rolls I0 and I2, rotated at a higher peripheral speed than the rolls C, produce no effect until, because of some variation in the material, advance is retarded. This is because the pin |04 is producing a continuous effect upon 40 the driving mechanism for moving the lever 52 to relieve the material from pressure of the roll I2. When, however, the lag of the webs brings the ends of a slot s therein into engagement with the feeler-flnger |24 45 at the front of thel tucking segment 24, it retains in operating position the plunger |00 which is successively moved into locking relation by the fixed cam |I4. The retention of the plunger causes the driving mechanism to turn oppositely to the rotation produced by the pin |04, lowering the lever 52 to press the roll I2 against the material and accelerate its advance, correcting the lag. This allows the finger to return to its initial position, releasing the plunger 55 so the apparatus again operates normally until there is further lag of the material. The oscillation of the lever in either direction is kept within safe limits by communicating excess movement to the screw |42, this in turn separating the Worm-wheel 14 from the end of the sleeve 60 to discontinue the frictional driving effect. At all times the rounded end |26 of the finger |24, by its capacity to yield upon the segment 24, acts effectively to press down the cover-paper close to the ends of the slots s without danger of injury to the material by the applicationof undue force.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent o! the United States is:

1. In a blank-making machine, mechanism for operating upon blank-material, means movable at a definite rate for feeding material to the operating mechanism, registering means for terial for moving the4 registering means into eective advancing relation to said material.

3. In a blank-making machine, mechanism for operating upon blank-material, a member movable by the operating mechanism, means movable at a definite rate for feeding material to the operating mechanism, registering means for causing the material to advance at asdifferent L rate, means for moving the registering means into effective relation to the material, and `connections between the member and moving means for controlling said moving means.

4. In a blank-making machine, operating mechanism having a member movable into engagement with the blank-material and movable by such engagement, means movable at a definite rate for feeding material to the operating mechanism, registering means -for advancing material at a different rate, means for moving the registering means into eifective advancing relation to the material, and connections between the member and moving means for controlling said moving means. Y

5. In a blank making machine, operating mechanism having a member movable into engagement with the blank-material and movable by such engagement, means movable at a deflnite rate for feeding material to the operating imechanism, registering means forT advancing material at a different rate, means for moving the registering means into eiective advancing relation to the material, connections between the member and moving means for controlling said moving means, and means included in the connections for hunting the action of the moving means upon the registering means.

6. In a blank-making machine, mechanism for operating upon blank-material, rolls rotatable to feed the material to the operating mechanism, means for rotating the rolls at a definite peripheral speed, registering rolls, means for rotating .the registering rolls at a greaterperipheral speed than the feeding rolls, a movable mounting for a registering roll, and means acting upon departure of the material from correct registration with the operating mechanism for moving the mounting to bring the mounted roll into effective material-advancing relation to the companion roll.

'7. In a blank-making machine, mechanism for operating upon blank-material, rolls rotatable to feed the material to the operating m chanism, means for rotating the rolls at a defini e peripheral speed, registering rolls, means for rotating the registering rolls at a greater periph-eral speed than-,the feeding rolls, a movable mounting for a registering roll, means for moving the mounting to bring the mounted roll into effective material-advancing relation to the companion roll, and a member movable by engagement with the material upon departure from its correct registrationv with the operating mechanism to control the moving means.

8. Ihe`combination with web-feeding means,

of meansfor changing the arrangement oi' the web, said means being controlled by. the action upon it of a surface joining the opposite faces of the web for moving the feeding means into eifective feeding engagement with the web.

9. The combination with a pair of primary ,web-feeding rolls, of means for rotating said rolls at adeflnite peripheral speed, a pairA of secondary web-feeding rolls, means for rotating the secondary rolls at a greater peripheral speed than the primary rolls, a feeler arranged for con-,- .tact withthe web at points between its opposite faces, and mechanism controlled by the feeler for changing the web-feeding relation of the secondary rolls.

10. 'Ihe combination with a pair of primary web-feeding rolls, of means for rotating said rolls at a definite peripheral speed, a pair of secondary web-feeding rolls, means for rotating the secondary rolls at a greater peripheral speed than the primary rolls, a feeler arranged for contact with the web, mechanism controlled by the feeler for changing the web-feeding relation of the secondary rolls, and means included in said mechanism for varying the relation of its elements to limit the extent of its action upon the lsecondary rolls. 11. The combination with a feed-controlling member movable into effective relation to a web of material, of mechanism comprising a member acting continuously to permit the movement oi the controlling member in one direction, and a member acting intermittently to move the controlling member in another direction.

l2. The combination with a feeding member movable into effective feeding relation to a web of material, of mechanism comprising a member acting continuously to permit the movement of the feeding member in one direction, a member acting intermittently to move the feeding member in another direction, and a member contacting with the intermittenly acting member to produce such intermittent action.

13. 'I'he combination with a feeding member lil movable into effective feeding relation to a web member in another direction and to a greater extent than does the continuously acting member. Y

14. The combination with a feeding member movable into effective feeding'relation to a web of material, of mechanism comprising a member acting continuously to permit the movement of the feeding member in one direction, a member acting intermittently to move the feeding member in another direction, and means for successively moving the intermittently acting member into active position. l

l5. The combination with a feeding member movable into effective feeding relation to a web of material, of mechanism comprising a member acting continuously to permit the movement of the feeding member in one direction, a member acting intermittently to move the feeding member in another direction, means for successively moving the intermittently acting member into active position, and means for temporarily lock- 70.

of material, ofmechanismcomprising a member 'I5 acting continuously to permit the movement of the feeding member in one direction, a member acting intermittently to move the feeding member in another direction, means for successively moving the intermittently acting member into active position, and a feeler movable by engagement with the web for temporarily locking said intermittently acting member in such active position.

17. The combination with a rotatable web-feeding roll, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, and means including a member having frictional engagement with the screw and controlled by the web for rotating the screw in opposite directions.

18. The combination with a rotatable web-feeding roll, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, means for rotating the screw in opposite directions, and means controlled by the pressure member for stopping the rotation of the screw.

19. The combination with a rotatable webfeeding roll, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, means including frictional connections for rotating the screw in opposite directions, and means controlled by the pressure member for separating the frictional connections.

20. The combination with a rotatable webfeeding roll, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, means including frictional connections for rotating the screw in opposite directions, a spring acting upon the frictional connections, and means arranged to vary the force of the spring.

21. The combination with a rotatable feeding roll in normally ineffective contact with a web, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a spring interposed between the pressure member and the roll, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, and means for rotating the screw in opposite drections.

22. The combination with a rotatable webfeeding roll, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, and a unitary ratchet mechanism consisting of a ratchet and ratchet-wheel for rotating the screw in opposite directions. v

23. The combination with a rotatable webfeeding roll, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, a ratchet and ratchet-wheel for rotating the screw in opposite directions, and two'revoluble members engaging opposite extremities of the ratchet.

24. The combination with a rotatable webfeeding roll, of a member movable` to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, a ratchet and ratchet-wheel for rotating the screw in opposite directions, two revoluble members cngaging opposite extremities of the ratchet, one of said members being normally retracted, and means for projecting such retracted member to act upon the ratchet.

25. The combination with a rotatable webfeeding roll, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, a ratchet and ratchet-wheel for rotating the screw in opposite directions, and two revoluble members engaging the ratchet at different distances from its pivotal support and at opposite sides thereof.

26. The combination with a rotatable Webfeeding roll, of a member movable to press the roll into feeding contact with the web, a screw having threaded engagement with the member, a ratchet and ratchet-wheel for rotating the screw in opposite directions, two revoluble members engaging the ratchet at different distances from its pivotal support and at opposite sides thereof, and means for producing intermittent action upon the ratchet of the member farthest from the pivot.

27. In a machine for operating upon material consisting of webs of slotted shell-material and adhering cover-paper extending over the slots, means for feeding the webs, and means for tucking ythe cover-paper of the advancing webs through the slots in the shell-material, said means including a yieldable portion arranged for contact with the webs.

28. In a machine for operating upon material consisting of webs of slotted shell-material and adhering cover-paper extending over the slots, means for feeding the webs, and means for` tucking the cover-paper of the advancing webs through the slots in the shell-material, said means including a yieldable portion arranged for contact with the webs at the forward extremities of the slots.

29. In a machine for operating upon material consisting of webs of slotted shell-material and adhering cover-paper extending over the slots, means for feeding the webs, a revoluble tucking segment arranged to enter the slots, and a contact-finger movable at one extremity of the segment.

30. In a machine for operating upon material consisting of webs of slotted shell-material and adhering cover-paper extending over the slots, means for feeding the webs, a revoluble tucking segment arranged to enter the slots, a contactnger pivoted upon the forward extremity of the segment, and a spring holding the nger for yieldable engagement with the forward ends of the slots.

31. In a machine for operating upon material consisting of webs of slotted shell-material and adhering cover-paper extending over the slots, means for tucking the cover-paper through the slots, said means including a yieldable portion arranged for contact with the webs, means for feeding the webs, and means under the influence of the yieldable portion of the tucking mechanism for controlling the feeding means.

32. In a machine for operating upon material consisting of webs of slotted shell-material and adhering cover-paper extending over the slots, a revoluble tucking segment arranged to enter the slots, a contact-finger movable at one extremity of the segment, a pair of rolls rotatable to feed the webs, means for altering the pressure of the rolls upon the webs, and connections to the finger for controlling the pressure-altering means.

33. In a machine for operating upon web-material in which are openings, means for feeding the web, a speed-controlling member in contact with which the web may travel, mechanism for moving the member into controlling relation to the web, and means acting through the webopenings for rendering the moving mechanism effective.

CUTLER D. KNOWLTON. 

